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The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative : marriage and relationship skills education as a way to prepare prisoners for reintegration

JANUARY 2009
THE OKLAHOMA MARRIAGE INITIATIVE
ABOUT THIS BRIEF
This ASPE Research Brief describes lessons learned during the establishment of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, drawing on findings from an in-depth process evaluation being conducted by researchers at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. under contract to ASPE. This brief was prepared by M. Robin Dion, Timothy Silman, Debra A. Strong, and Betsy Santos.
The full report of the process evaluation, and additional briefs focusing on specific aspects of the OMI’s implementation, are available at ASPE’s web site: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/06/OMI
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Marriage and Relationship Skills Education as a Way to Prepare Prisoners for Reintegration
The number of people incarcerated in this country is in the millions, and most will eventually be released to the community. Policy interest in preparing prisoners for reentry has grown significantly in recent years. This interest is fueled in part by research showing that marital and parent-child relationships are at high risk of disruption during incarceration and reentry, and by research suggesting that healthy marriage is associated with a reduced likelihood of recidivism. Oklahoma is the first state whose correctional system offers standardized programming in marriage and relationship skills. In partnership with the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections offers this program in prisons throughout the state, to male and female prisoners, married and unmarried. This brief describes what led to the implementation of this program, how it was implemented, how participants have responded, and the potential implications for replication.
Incarcerated men and women face substantial challenges to maintaining their marriages, relationships with their children, and other intimate relationships while incarcerated and when they reenter society. The marriage of an incarcerated man is about three times more likely to fail than that of one who is not incarcerated, and the likelihood of divorce increases with time served.1 Absence and low levels of contact, among other factors, strain prisoners’ relationships with their children. Incarceration also reduces the probability of subsequent marriage, especially amoAfrican American2
US Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, DC 20201
1 Lopoo, L.M. & Western, B. (2005). Incarceration and the formation and stability of marital unions. Journal of Marriage and the Family 67(3), 721-734. Lynch, J.P. & Sabol, W.J. (2001). Prisoner reentry in perspective. Crime Policy Reports, vol. 3. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
2 Western, B. (2004). Incarceration, marriage, and family life. Working paper 15-19-FF. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.

JANUARY 2009
THE OKLAHOMA MARRIAGE INITIATIVE
ABOUT THIS BRIEF
This ASPE Research Brief describes lessons learned during the establishment of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, drawing on findings from an in-depth process evaluation being conducted by researchers at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. under contract to ASPE. This brief was prepared by M. Robin Dion, Timothy Silman, Debra A. Strong, and Betsy Santos.
The full report of the process evaluation, and additional briefs focusing on specific aspects of the OMI’s implementation, are available at ASPE’s web site: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/06/OMI
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Marriage and Relationship Skills Education as a Way to Prepare Prisoners for Reintegration
The number of people incarcerated in this country is in the millions, and most will eventually be released to the community. Policy interest in preparing prisoners for reentry has grown significantly in recent years. This interest is fueled in part by research showing that marital and parent-child relationships are at high risk of disruption during incarceration and reentry, and by research suggesting that healthy marriage is associated with a reduced likelihood of recidivism. Oklahoma is the first state whose correctional system offers standardized programming in marriage and relationship skills. In partnership with the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections offers this program in prisons throughout the state, to male and female prisoners, married and unmarried. This brief describes what led to the implementation of this program, how it was implemented, how participants have responded, and the potential implications for replication.
Incarcerated men and women face substantial challenges to maintaining their marriages, relationships with their children, and other intimate relationships while incarcerated and when they reenter society. The marriage of an incarcerated man is about three times more likely to fail than that of one who is not incarcerated, and the likelihood of divorce increases with time served.1 Absence and low levels of contact, among other factors, strain prisoners’ relationships with their children. Incarceration also reduces the probability of subsequent marriage, especially amoAfrican American2
US Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, DC 20201
1 Lopoo, L.M. & Western, B. (2005). Incarceration and the formation and stability of marital unions. Journal of Marriage and the Family 67(3), 721-734. Lynch, J.P. & Sabol, W.J. (2001). Prisoner reentry in perspective. Crime Policy Reports, vol. 3. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
2 Western, B. (2004). Incarceration, marriage, and family life. Working paper 15-19-FF. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing.